Gabriel designated to return from IR

Reporting had the Browns set to keep four quarterbacks on their initial 53-man roster, but this makes a little more sense. Gabriel was not spotted throwing at practice today, and now we know why. Supposedly he suffered the back injury in the midst of shredding in the final preseason game; he’ll miss at least the first four weeks of the season. The team also announced the final roster cuts to get down to the final, 53-man roster. Waived or released were DT Travis Bell, RB Davon Booth, DT Elijah Chatman, G Kinsley Eguakun, DE Logan Fano, WR Luke Floriea, WR Gage Larvadain, T K.T. Leveston, RB Ahmani Marshall, P Wes Pahl, DT Tyreak Sapp, DE Khordae Sydnor, LB Edefuan Ulofoshio, S Zion Washington, LB Nathaniel Watson, and WR Kole Wilson.

The Browns also reportedly want to keep rookie Taylen Green, and it’s hard to imagine them keeping four quarterbacks on the roster, so something has to give. Our money is on the Browns ultimately trading Gabriel for a late-round pick. Gabriel looked good in his final preseason outing, throwing for 186 yards and three scores. That alone might be enough for a team to give him a shot at a backup job this year.

In fairness to Monken, it’s not often we see teams keep four QBs on a roster. With Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders already locked into their roles, the question becomes whether or not both Dillon Gabriel and Taylen Green make the 53-man roster or if one could be cut/traded. Gabriel turned in a solid outing in the Browns’ final preseason game, throwing for 186 yards and three touchdowns in one half of play, while Green threw for 27 scoreless yards but also rushed for 88 yards on six carries and helped orchestrate a 98-yard touchdown drive in the fourth quarter. With roster cutdown day set for Sunday, Monken and GM Andrew Berry still have a few days to decide the makeup of their QB room before Week 1’s game against the Jaguars.

Dillon Gabriel is the player left off their 53-man roster projection by Oyefusi entering camp, with Taylen Green getting the QB3 gig for the Browns. There’s been smoke around dealing Gabriel for most of the offseason, but it doesn’t seem like anyone is all that interested in the 2025 third-round pick just yet. It does seem likely he’ll be the one available here given the role that former head coach Kevin Stefanski had in the selection.

It might not mean much for the forgotten man in the Browns quarterback room this offseason. Deshaun Watson continues to operate as the team’s starter in offseason practices. Shedeur Sanders is expected to compete for the starting gig, though he’s expected to be an underdog to begin the regular season under center for a revamped Cleveland offense. Head coach Todd Monken appears enamored with Watson, who has played in 19 regular season games since 2021. Gabriel had the NFL’s lowest EPA per drop back in 2025, just ahead of Sanders. The Browns have insisted they would not trade Gabriel this offseason.

Monken also says he’s “not there yet” when it comes to naming his QB, but it doesn’t sound like he’s against the idea of naming his preferred starter before camp. Recent reports have suggested that Deshaun Watson “looks healthy” and has the inside edge to win the QB battle over Shedeur Sanders, who struggled mightily his rookie season. The Browns have been on the field for three days during their first mini camp, with Watson leading the QB room thus far. The last time we saw Watson, he threw for 1,148-5-3 in seven games for the Browns, but missed all of last season due to a torn Achilles. He’s in the final year of his record-setting five-year, $230 million contract, and could earn the early nod if he impresses enough before camp.

The reports comes in the wake of the team drafting Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green at pick No. 182, bringing the total number of quarterbacks on the roster to four alongside Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders, and Gabriel. Watson enters 2026 as the presumed starter considering the hefty financials invested in his services, but to say the situation isn’t fluid is a vast understatement, particularly after the team drafted three quarterbacks in the previous two drafts. Stay tuned, sports fans.

“You couldn’t ask for a better start for the quarterbacks,” Monken said in reference to the QBs’ performance during offseason workouts on Monday. “I was fired up.” For now the Cleveland quarterbacks room includes Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, and Deshaun Watson, 30, who’s coming off two torn Achilles tendons and is slated to make $34.9 million in 2026. Monken said he was encouraged by the quarterbacks’ grasp of the team’s new offensive playbook. There’s a long way to go before Monken names a Week 1 starter, but The Athletic’s Zac Jackson said recently that he feels “stronger than ever” that Sanders, who threw seven touchdowns and ten picks over eight games in 2025, is the favorite to land the starting gig in Monken’s offense.

Monken is known for maximizing his quarterback’s potential in the passing game, but the trio of Watson, Shedeur Sanders, and Dillon Gabriel may be a bridge too far for the 60-year-old, first-time head coach. That said, the Browns seem determined to find out, although we can’t rule out the team bringing in a rookie in next month’s draft. Watson’s time with the Browns has been forgettable to say the least. In four seasons with the team, the $230 million man who signed a five-year deal in 2022 has thrown for 3,365-19-12 in 19 games, and is working his way back from a torn Achilles he suffered in 2024. In fairness to Watson, things can’t get any worse, so maybe, should he win the QB1 job in camp, he will see better numbers with Monken calling the plays.

Wolfe is standing by his report from February, in which he told viewers that they should not be surprised if the Browns abstain from drafting a quarterback this year. He believes that the Browns are likely to “supplement the offense” by spending their two first-round picks on a wide receiver and a left tackle this season before “maybe” drafting a quarterback next year. Per Wolfe, the Browns’ quarterback competition is between Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson, seemingly rendering Dillon Gabriel a locked-in backup.